Inflatable convective pad for surgery

ABSTRACT

An inflatable convective pad for warming a person during surgery has two ends, two sides, and at least two openings, each located in an area of the pad between the two ends and between a respective side and the center of the pad. The openings, which may be in the form of slits, allow the threading of a sheet or the person&#39;s arms through the pad to restrain the arms during surgery.

BACKGROUND

An inflatable convective pad is adapted to be deployed under a person inconnection with surgery.

Warming a person during surgery affords clinical benefits, includingprevention or treatment of hypothermia, encouragement of immune systemfunction, and promotion of wound healing. An inflatable blanket is usedto warm a person perioperatively. Such a blanket, when inflated withheated air, warms the person principally by convection of warmed airthrough the blanket, although conduction and radiation of heat from theblanket also contribute to warming.

However, blanketing a person for warming may interfere with particularsurgical procedures. For example, during cardiac surgery access to thethorax, groin and extremities is necessary when blood vessels must beharvested from the legs and arms for bypass construction on the heart.Deploying an inflatable blanket over a person may interfere with if notprevent the necessary access. Adapting the blanket to avoid interferenceby reducing its size may compromise its capacity to warm the person.Adapting the blanket to provide access by separable seals may extend andcomplicate the surgery due to need to integrate the operation andmanagement of the blanket with surgical protocols.

One way to achieve the benefits of warming a person during cardiacsurgery without the interference caused by a blanket is to utilize aninflatable convective pad which may be disposed beneath the person. Theperson is laid on the pad and the pad warms the person by convection ofwarmed air, and also by conduction and radiation, from beneath andaround the person while leaving the chest and periphery uncovered. Aninflatable convective pad is described in the assignee's U.S. Pat. No.6,102,936. The assignee's Model 555 pediatric underbody blanket isanother example of an inflatable convective pad. However, in spite ofthe access to necessary surgical sites that is available with aninflatable convective pad, there are drawbacks to its use in certainsurgeries.

For example, in cardiac surgery the widely used “draw sheet” protocolinterferes with effective operation of an inflatable convective pad. Inthis regard, in preparation for surgery, a sheet of material (called a“draw sheet”), typically between two and three feet in width and four tosix feet in length, is centered transversely under a person and each endof the sheet is threaded between one arm and the adjacent side of theperson. Each end is then brought over the bicep and dropped along theoutside of its respective arm, tightened over the arm, and then pinnedbetween the operating table mattress and the operating table. The drawsheet retains or immobilizes the arms against movement during surgery.When an inflatable convective pad is deployed for warming, the drawsheet itself, and the immobilized arms, press against the sides of thepad and restrict airflow through the device.

Also, many thoracic surgeries are performed on ischemic patients withimpaired circulation to extremities. Feet especially exhibit the effectsof low oxygen saturation in tissue resulting from poor blood flow. Thiscondition is ischemia. Ischemic extremities are particularly vulnerableto injury from the combination of heat and pressure, and burns canresult where feet press against an inflatable convective pad inflatedwith heated, pressurized air.

SUMMARY

These and other problems are solved in an inflatable convective padhaving at least two openings, each located in an area of the pad betweentwo ends of the pad and between a respective side and the center of thepad. The openings provide for restraint of the person's arms duringsurgery. Heat transfer to the person's feet is reduced through an areanear one end of the pad by blocking or preventing convective heattransfer in that area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inflatable convective pad.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inflatable convective pad of FIG. 1 withside portions folded to show optional features.

FIG. 3A is a side sectional view of the inflatable convective pad ofFIG. 1, when inflated and FIG. 3B is a magnified portion of theinflatable convective pad shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inflatable convective pad of FIG. 1 with aperson supported thereon.

FIG. 5A is a plan view of the inflatable convective pad of FIG. 1, witha person supported thereon and a limb retainer partially threadedthereto. FIG. 5B is a schematic cross section of the inflatableconvective pad of FIG. 5A, with a person supported thereon and a limbretainer fully threaded thereto. FIG. 5C is a plan view of theinflatable convective pad of FIG. 5A, with a person supported thereonand a limb retainer fully threaded thereto.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inflatable convective pad of FIG. 1, with aperson supported thereon in a first position with arms extended andthreaded through the pad.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the inflatable convective pad of FIG. 1, with aperson supported thereon in a second position with arms partially flexedand threaded through the pad.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the inflatable convective pad of FIG. 1, with aperson supported thereon in a third position with arms extended and onearm threaded through the pad.

SPECIFICATION

An inflatable convective pad (also called simply a “pad” in thisspecification) has two ends, two sides, and a pneumatic structure. Atleast one inlet port in the pad opens into the pneumatic structure. Thepad is inflatable. That is to say, the pad, flaccid when not in use,tautens when a stream of pressurized air is received in the pneumaticstructure by way of an inlet port. The pad has a surface to support aperson. That surface, at least, is permeable to air. When a stream ofwarmed pressurized air is received in the pneumatic structure, the padinflates and warmed air circulates from the pneumatic structure, throughthe surface, to warm the person.

An inflatable convective pad shown in these figures and described inthis specification may be constructed using techniques and materialswhich are known in the art, or which are equivalent thereto. Thespecific details of construction and materials that are set forth inthis specification are meant for illustration only. Generally, theconstruction and materials with which an inflatable convective pad maybe made include two or more sheets of flexible material that are broughttogether and bonded, joined, or sealed at a periphery, and at multiplepoints within the periphery. This pad may be made, for example, in acontinuous manufacturing process which joins multiple webs of material.Other construction methods may also be employed.

The two or more sheets of flexible permeable material are joined to forma pneumatic structure having at least one surface through whichpressurized air that inflates the structure circulates, passes or exitstoward the body of a person laid on the surface. One or more inletports, with provision for retention of an air hose nozzle, are providedfor admitting a stream of warmed, pressurized air into the pneumaticstructure, from an air hose connected to a heater/blower unit. Thewarmed air circulating through the surface causes the person to bewarmed. Although convection is the principal mode of warming, thestructure itself, when inflated with warmed air, radiates heat as well.Further, where the structure contacts the person's body, heat may alsobe transferred by conduction.

The sheets of material of which a pad is formed may be made of syntheticor natural materials, or a natural/synthetic blend. The sheets are made,or processed, to be permeable to air. One possible construction for theinflatable thermal pad is described in the referenced U.S. Pat. No.6,102,936 at column 5, line 28 through column 6, line 7. A pad soconstructed is illustrated in FIG. 1.

The inflatable convective pad 100 of FIG. 1 is seen in plan view,looking toward an upper surface 110 of the pad 100. The pad 100 has ahead end 102, a foot end 104, and two sides 106 and 108. The uppersurface 110 is permeable and active, with exceptions to be described.The pad may be constructed as described above from sheets sealedtogether by a seal 109 extending around the periphery of the pad. Atleast one inlet port is provided to admit a stream of warmed pressurizedair into the pneumatic structure of the pad 100. For example two inletports 112 and 114 are disposed at each end of the pad 100. The inletports 112 and 114 may be constructed and selectively operated with plugsas taught in the assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,572. So constructed, aninlet port is constituted of a collar of relatively stiff material suchas cardboard that surrounds an opening into the pneumatic space of thepad 100. The collar receives and retains the nozzle of an air hose whilethe air hose delivers a stream of warmed pressurized air into thepneumatic space. If not used, the collar is closed by a removable plug.Alternatively, the inlet ports may be sleeves of material with means toretain the nozzle of an air hose.

The sheets of which the inflatable convective pad 100 is made are sealedtogether at locations within the seal 109 around the periphery of thepad 100. At one location, near the head end 102, a continuous closedseal 120 between the sheets defines an uninflatable area 125 that isclosed off from the pneumatic structure and is therefore inactive. Thepattern of the seal 120 incorporates a protrusion from the ellipticaloutline. This protrusion is intended to provide air flow between thesides 108 and 106. A line of weakness or perforation 127 permits aportion of the uninflatable area 125 to be separated and removed fromthe pad 100. The sheets are also sealed together at other locations 130within the periphery to control the size, shape, and operation of thepad when inflated. Some of these locations 130 may include drainpassages to draw off fluids from the surface 110 that may accumulatebefore, during and/or after surgery. Drain passages may be constructedas taught in the referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,936.

As will be described in more detail below, the portion of the pad 100within the seal pattern 120 is where a person's head may be receivedwhile the portion 111 near the foot end 104 is where a person's feet maybe supported.

In at least two further locations in the inflatable convective pad 100,openings through the pad are defined. For example, twolaterally-aligned, spaced-apart openings through the pad 100 may beprovided, each of enough size and located appropriately to receive adraw sheet or equivalent retainer and/or an arm of a person. For ease ofexplanation, such openings are illustrated and described as “slits” inthis specification, with the understanding that the preciseconfiguration will be a matter of design choice and that manyequivalents of the slits may be realized in an inflatable convectivepad. Thus, in order to define at least two openings through the pad 100through which retainers or limbs may be threaded, continuous closedseals 132 and 134 between the sheets establish elongate uninflatableareas 133 and 135 within which are formed slits 137 and 139 that openthrough the pad 100. The slits 137 and 139 may be formed when the pad100 is constructed. Or, elongate lines of weakness or perforations maybe formed in the uninflatable areas 133 and 135 so that either or bothslits may be selectively opened when the pad 100 is put to use.

As seen in FIG. 1, the slit 137 is located between the two ends 102 and104 of the pad 100 and between the side 106 and central axis 140 of thepad 100. The slit 139 is located between the two ends 102 and 104 of thepad 100 and between the side 108 and central axis 140 of the pad 100.Preferably, but not necessarily, the slits 137 and 139 are oriented tobe generally parallel to each other, the side 106 and 108, and thecentral axis 140. In addition, the elongate configuration of the slits137 and 139 is by no means the only shape or outline contemplated forthese elements.

FIG. 2 shows the inflatable convective pad 100, with the sides 106 and108 folded over the upper surface 110 to reveal optional retaining flaps210 and 212 that may be formed integrally with or attached to the pad100 underneath the sides 106 and 108. For example, these retaining flaps210 and 212 may be incorporated into the construction of the pad 100 inthe manner taught in the referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,936 at column 6,lines 8-30. When the pad 100 is deployed for use these retaining flapsare folded in the direction of the arrows 220 toward and around amattress 214 on which the pad 100 rests.

FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the inflatable convective pad 100 takenalong the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 with the pad 100 inflated. FIG. 3B is amagnified portion of FIG. 3A. The multiple sheet construction isillustrated in these figures. An air-permeable sheet (“permeable sheet”)310 is joined to a sheet 312 which may also be permeable if the pad 100is to be reversible. The surface 110 is the upper or outer surface ofthe permeable sheet 310. The seal 109 bonds or joins the sheets 310 and312 to form a pneumatic structure with space 313 to receive anddistribute warmed pressurized air introduced through an inlet port. Thewarmed pressurized air causes the pad 100 to inflate. When inflated, thepad 100 operates by circulating warmed pressurized air through at leastthe surface 110. FIG. 3B shows a drain passage at a seal location 130and the perforation or line of weakness defining the slit 139 in theelongate uninflatable area 135 near the side 108 of the pad 100.

FIG. 4 shows a person 400 lying on the surface 110 with the person'shead 401 positioned in the uninflatable area 125 and the person's feet402 disposed on the near the foot end 104 of the inflatable convectivepad 100. The nozzle of an air hose 410 is received in the inlet port112, while the inlet port 114 is plugged. The pad 100 is inflated by astream of warmed pressurized air flowing through the air hose 410 intothe pneumatic structure of the pad. The warmed pressurized air inflatesthe pad 100 and the person 400 is warmed by air which circulates fromthe pneumatic structure through the surface 110. To prevent or mitigatethermal injury to the person's feet 402, the area 111 of the surface 110near the foot end 104 is inactive. The area 111 may be rendered inactivein ways described above. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a sheet 412 ofnon-permeable material covering the surface portion 111 is incorporatedinto the structure of the pad 100 overlying the sheet 310 near the footend 104. This blocks air from circulating to the person's feet 402, andreduces heat transfer to the feet from the pad 100. As FIG. 4 suggests,the pad 100 is sized such that the slits 137/139 are positioned near theperson's arms 403 when the arms are drawn in to extend along the sidesof the person. For example, the pad 100 may be sized to locate the slitsoutside of the person's arms, that is to say between the person's arms403 and the sides 106 and 108 of the pad 100.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate one use of the slits 137 and 139 to restrain theperson's arms 403 during surgery when the inflatable convective pad 100is deployed on an operating table and inflated with warmed pressurizedair, and the person 400 is supported on the surface 110 of the pad 100.In this regard, if not already open, the slits 137 and 139 are opened bytearing along the lines of weakness or perforations. Then a draw sheet500 is centered transversely under the person 400 and each end 503 ofthe draw sheet 500 is threaded upwardly between one of the person's arms403 and the adjacent side of the person 400. Each end 503 is then foldedover a respective arm 403 at the bicep, dropped along the outside of therespective arm, tightened over the arm, and then inserted into theadjacent slit 137/139. As best seen in FIG. 5B, the ends 503 of the drawsheet 500 are folded around the sides of and under an operating tablemattress 510 and pinned between the mattress 510 and an operating table512. FIG. 5B also shows the optional retaining flaps 210 and 212. Ifprovided, the retaining flaps 210 and 212 are folded around the sides ofand under the operating table mattress 510 before the ends 503 of thedraw sheet 500 and are pinned between the mattress 510 and the ends 503of the draw sheet 500. As clearly seen in FIG. 5C, during surgery theperson 400 is received on the permeable surface 110 and the person'sarms 403 are restrained by the draw sheet 500 that has been threadedthrough the slits 137/139 and retained beneath the pad 100. The person400 is warmed during surgery by convection of warmed air through thesurface 110.

The inflatable convective pad 100 with slits 137/139 may also be used topass a limb of a person through the pad during surgery. Various examplesin this regard are illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. In FIG. 6, the pad100 is disposed on a cruciform operating table with a transverse piece610. The person 400 is received face up on the permeable surface 110with arms 403 outstretched in opposing directions. Each arm is receivedin and threaded through a respective slit 137/139 to be positionedbetween the pad 100 and the transverse piece 610. In FIG. 7, the pad 100is disposed on an operating table with lateral arm rests 710. The person400 is received face down on the permeable surface 110 with arms 403extended outwardly to the elbows and then upwardly from the elbows tothe hands. In this position, the uninflatable area 125 within the seal120 is removed to permit the person 400 to breathe freely, toaccommodate a breathing apparatus or other medical instrument, or tovisualize the person. Each arm 403 is received in and threaded through arespective slit 137/139 to be restrained between the pad 100 and arespective one of the arm rests 710. In FIG. 8, the pad 100 is disposedon an operating table with one transverse piece 810. The person 400 isreceived on his side on the permeable surface 110 with both arms 403outstretched in the same direction. One arm 403 is received in andthreaded through the slit 139 to be positioned between the pad 100 andthe transverse piece 810. The other arm 403 is laid across the surface110 atop the lower arm.

An inflatable convective pad for supporting and warming a person andhaving at least two openings for retaining one or more limbs of a personduring surgery has been described and illustrated. The variousembodiments of the pad that are shown and specified are meant to serveas examples of underlying principles, and many other equivalentembodiments will be evident to those of ordinary skill. The scope ofpatent protection for such a device is limited only by the claims below.

1. An inflatable convective pad for warming a person, comprising: at least one air permeable surface adapted to support a person; and openings through the pad adapted to thread a limb retainer.
 2. The inflatable convective pad of claim 1, wherein each opening is a slit.
 3. The inflatable convective pad of claim 2, each slit being defined in an uninflatable area of the pad by a line of weakness or perforations.
 4. The inflatable convective pad of claim 1, wherein the pad includes: first and second layers joined by a seal around a common periphery to form a pneumatic structure, the first layer being air permeable and including the air permeable surface; at least one inlet port opening into the pneumatic structure; and spaced-apart seals between the first and second layers, within the common periphery, and each opening including a slit in one of the spaced-apart seals.
 5. The inflatable convective pad of claim 4, each slit being defined in one of the spaced-apart seals by a line of weakness or perforations.
 6. The inflatable convective pad of claim 4, further including a portion of the air permeable surface adapted to support the person's feet and means for preventing convection through the portion.
 7. An inflatable convective pad for warming a person, comprising: at least one air permeable surface; and spaced-apart openings through the pad adapted to thread a limb or a retainer.
 8. The inflatable convective pad of claim 7, wherein each opening of the spaced-apart openings is a slit.
 9. The inflatable convective pad of claim 8, each slit being defined in an uninflatable area of the pad by a line of weakness or perforations.
 10. The inflatable convective pad of claim 7, wherein the pad includes: first and second layers joined by a seal around a common periphery to form a pneumatic structure, the first layer being air permeable and including the air permeable surface; at least one inlet port opening into the pneumatic structure; and spaced-apart seals between the first and second layers, within the common periphery, and each opening including a slit in one of the spaced-apart seals.
 11. The inflatable convective pad of claim 10, each slit being defined in one of the spaced-apart seals by a line of weakness or perforations.
 12. The inflatable convective pad of claim 10, further including a portion of the air permeable surface adapted to support the person's feet and means for preventing convection through the portion.
 13. An inflatable convective pad for warming a person, comprising: first and second layers joined by a seal around a common periphery to form a pneumatic structure, at least the first layer being air permeable and including an air permeable surface adapted to support a person; at least one inlet port opening into the pneumatic structure; and spaced-apart seals between the first and second layers, within the common periphery, and means in each of the spaced-apart seals for threading a limb or a limb retainer through the inflatable convective pad.
 14. The inflatable convective pad of claim 13, each means including a slit in one of the spaced-apart seals.
 15. The inflatable convective pad of claim 14, each slit being defined in one of the spaced-apart seals by a line of weakness or perforations.
 16. The inflatable convective pad of claim 15 in combination with a draw sheet threaded through the slits.
 17. The inflatable convective pad of claim 14, further including a portion of the air permeable surface adapted to support the person's feet and means for preventing convection through the portion.
 18. The inflatable convective pad of claim 17 in combination with a draw sheet threaded through the slits.
 19. A method of using an inflatable convective pad, comprising: inflating the pad with warmed pressurized air; convecting warmed air through a surface of the pad; supporting a person on the surface; and threading a retainer around the person's arms and through the pad.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pad includes spaced-apart openings through the pad and threading includes: positioning a draw sheet between the person and the surface; threading each end of the draw sheet between one of the person's arms and an adjacent side of the person; folding each end of the draw sheet over a respective arm; inserting each end of the draw sheet through an opening through the pad; and securing each end of the draw sheet beneath the pad.
 21. A method of using an inflatable convective pad, comprising: inflating the pad with warmed pressurized air; convecting warmed air through a surface of the pad; supporting a person on the surface; and threading at least one of the person's arms through the pad.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the pad includes spaced-apart openings through the pad and threading includes: inserting at least one arm through an opening through the pad; and securing the at least one arm beneath the pad. 